DHAKA: Bangladesh asked India to extradite ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina under the bilateral treaty, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said on Sunday, describing her as a convicted criminal.
Asaduzzaman said the government was pursuing legal steps to bring Hasina back and would follow due process without being guided by emotion. India had acknowledged receiving the requests but had not announced a decision.
“To me, she is a criminal. A criminal convicted by our tribunal. To us, this is her identity,” he told journalists after inaugurating a training workshop in Dhaka, according to bdnews24.
He said the Home Affairs Ministry was handling the matter under Bangladesh’s extradition treaty with India.
“The matter will be dealt with in accordance with the law, leaving no room for emotions. We have requested her repatriation under the treaty and through due process,” state-run news agency BSS quoted him as saying.
Asked about India’s response, Asaduzzaman said Bangladesh had made requests under the extradition treaty and the matter rested with the Indian government. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the requests were being examined through established processes.
Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, after a mass uprising ended her 15-year rule. Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal convicted her in absentia in November 2025 of crimes against humanity committed during the July-August 2024 uprising. She was sentenced to death on one charge and life imprisonment on another.
In an audio-only virtual press conference organised in New Delhi on August 5, Hasina said she intended to return to Bangladesh in December despite the possibility of imprisonment or death. Dhaka said it was outraged that she had been allowed to address the media, while India said a private media organisation had arranged the interaction and the government had no involvement.
